A Promise Through Darkness
by Youko-Kokuryuuha
Summary: He could not elude it. That unbearable guilt that would not wane. It weighed upon his heart, and he knew as it did that he would never be at peace. He would leave then. Leave to escape that aching throe. Post KHII.


Disclaimer: I do not own Kingdom Heart, I or II, or any productions produced by Square Enix or Buena Vista Games.

A/N:

This is my first Kingdom Hearts story, and it will take place after the time frame of KH2, but before the epilouge. I'm completely ignoring it. Please enjoy.

_A Promise Through Darkness:_

Riku stood, his back turned to Sora as they sat upon the wet sand on the shoreline. Finally he was home, back where he belonged. He had returned to the place where his heart had always felt pure... and yet, his heart felt empty, aching with remorse, with regret and sin. He felt tainted.

"Riku?"

The older boy turned around to face Sora, his emerald eyes filled with pain.

"Sora, I can't do this. I'm not ready, not yet." The confusion plainly plastered upon Sora's face did not waver.

It had not been the same since they had stepped through the Door to Light, since they had returned. It was true, that while he no longer lived in Darkness, still it lived within him, corroding his mind, his soul, his heart.

"I'm not ready to come back, to stay here. I had given in to darkness, turned my back upon everyone, upon you." He looked away, clenched fist trembling as he resisted his urge to sob. "How can you accept me, after what I've done?"

"Riku, you know all that's changed," the Keyblade Master would not hear this, "that it's different now." He would not lose Riku again, he could not allow his friend to slip back into the Darkness. "Riku, the Darkness is gone-"

"No it isn't!"

Riku turned to face Sora fully, his form eclipsing the moon's luminescent glow. He gazed at his hand, quivering it before him as he gazed at it loathingly. Sora shivered as he glanced into Riku's eyes, no longer a pale shade of green, but vibrant orange.

"Xehanort won't go away, Sora, not without a fight. And as long as he remains in my heart I can never come back, I can never escape. I'll always be a prisoner of the Darkness. That won't ever change."

"You're wrong. Because the light in you is too strong for that!" With a sliver of light, the Keyblade materialized within Sora's palm. "Because the Keyblade chose you, too." Riku shook his head, pulling from his back pocket the black blindfold he had always kept, and tied it to his eyes.

"Then the Keyblade was a fool to choose me when I had a monster lurking within my heart." A curtain of black flame seemed to sprout from Riku's feet, enveloping his lower body.

"Riku, don't do this! You can fight the Darkness, and you won't have to do it alone! I promise!" Sora outstretched his hand, his expression begging Riku to take it. A wry smile broke over Riku's face.

"I remember when I offered my hand to you to step into the Darkness. You turned me down, and the Keyblade chose you."

The black flame encircled higher, enveloping his waist.

"Don't worry, Sora. You're right, the Darkness can't hold me forever. And when I find my light, I'll come back." Sora fell to his knees, hot tears pouring down his face as he watched the Darkness take his friend from his once again. He felt Riku's hand close upon his, and looked up in surprise to find Riku smiling back.

"Hey, I said I'll come back."

"Riku, you can't go, you just can't! Don't! I won't let the Darkness take you, not again!"

"Sora... I said I'll-"

"Then promise! Promise you'll come back, Riku!"

An expression of shock overtook Riku as he heard his friend's painful plea. The corner of his mouth curved into a smile, a single tear escaping his eye as it strolled down his cheek.

"... Remember when we stood on opposite sides of Kingdom Hearts? I asked you protect Kairi. You still have a promise to keep, too."

Sora trembled once more, letting go of his friend's hand and pounding the wet sand at his black-enveloped feet. The Darkness crept upward, taking Riku's whole form and inverted inward, turning into a Dark Corridor and taking Riku with it. As the dark portal overlapped upon itself and closed, Sora could only make out the last warm words of friendship, the last echoing words that he knew would be kept, before being left alone on the dark beach.

"I promise."

-End-

A/N:

-Kind of crappy, but meh, it was my first KH story, so cut me some slack. Don't forget to review.


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